Apparatus, system and method for dendrite and roughness suppression in electrochemical structures

Abstract

A method, and associated batteries and battery charging units, that involve inducing electric and/or magnetic fields (field-induced current) across an electrode of a electrochemical cell, such as an anode of a battery. The field and current across the electrode may be referred to herein as a transverse current as this current is typically transverse to the ionic charge current that may be applied when charging a battery. The field and current may be induced from connecting AC energy, e.g., AC current, across the electrode or at a discrete point or points of the electrode. The induced field and current may suppress dendrite growth, experienced in conventional batteries without AC energy, among other advantages.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery comprising:
 a first electrode; 
 an ion transport layer including a first side and a second side, the first side operably coupled with the first electrode; 
 a second electrode operably coupled with the second side of the ion transport layer; 
 a patterned layer operably coupled with the first electrode, the patterned layer configured to couple an AC energy; and 
 a dielectric layer between the first electrode and the patterned layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The battery of  claim 1  wherein the first electrode is an anode. 
     
     
       3. The battery of  claim 2  further comprising an interphase layer. 
     
     
       4. The battery of  claim 3  wherein the interphase layer is a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer between the anode and the ion transport layer. 
     
     
       5. The battery of  claim 1  wherein the patterned layer affects a resonance of the first electrode. 
     
     
       6. The battery of  claim 1  wherein the ion transport layer comprises an electrolyte. 
     
     
       7. The battery of  claim 1  wherein the ion transport layer comprises an interphase. 
     
     
       8. The battery of  claim 1  wherein the AC energy is an AC current or AC voltage, and the AC energy is distinct from a charge or discharge energy. 
     
     
       9. A battery comprising:
 a first electrode; 
 a patterned layer operably coupled with the first electrode, the patterned layer to couple an alternating energy to affect resonance of the first electrode; and 
 a second electrode; 
 wherein the patterned layer is configured to receive the alternating energy distinct from a charge energy or a discharge energy. 
 
     
     
       10. The battery of  claim 9  wherein the first electrode is an anode or a cathode. 
     
     
       11. The battery of  claim 9  wherein the charge energy is a controlled current or voltage applied to the first electrode. 
     
     
       12. The battery of  claim 9  further comprising a dielectric layer positioned between the first electrode and the patterned layer. 
     
     
       13. The battery of  claim 9  wherein the patterned layer comprises a ring. 
     
     
       14. The battery of  claim 9  further comprising:
 an ion transport layer including a first side and a second side, the first side operably coupled with the first electrode; 
 the second electrode operably coupled with the second side of the ion transport layer. 
 
     
     
       15. The battery of  claim 14  wherein the ion transport layer comprises an electrolyte. 
     
     
       16. The battery of  claim 15  further comprising an interphase layer. 
     
     
       17. The battery of  claim 16  wherein the first electrode is an anode and the interphase layer is an electrolyte interphase layer between the anode and the electrolyte. 
     
     
       18. The battery of  claim 9  wherein the alternating energy is an AC current or AC voltage.